Archive for February, 2014

“… Astorino’s challenge to Cuomo will be built around what are being called “eight key issues’’ that polling has shown to be of real importance to voters. They are … Upstate opposition to the governor’s anti-gun ownership “Safe Act,’’ which has been condemned in resolutions passed by all but two upstate counties …”

This contracts yesterday’s post on a NY Times story claiming Cuomo would attack Astorino on the issue. Cuomo’s campaign must have similar poll data indicating it is a negative issue for him.

“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has raised an imposing $33 million, is riding high in the opinion polls and is expected to cruise to a second term this November. But for a political tactician as restless as Mr. Cuomo, a nearly foregone conclusion is not good enough …”

Those opinion polls are biased and do not accurately reflect public opinion. While I do give Cuomo the edge, I also believe he can be defeated this fall.

“… Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, is taking the unusual step of involving himself in the selection of his challenger, telling some top Republicans that they should be leery of nominating Rob Astorino, the Westchester County executive, who is expected to announce his candidacy soon …”

It’s not that unusual a step for a one party to mess with another party’s candidates. It goes on all the time in New York.

“… People with knowledge of the conversations have offered differing explanations for the governor’s motives. Some think he is simply trying to muddle the Republican race in hopes of gaining a stronger margin of victory when he seeks re-election in November. Others suspect that Mr. Cuomo may view the ambitious Mr. Astorino, who won re-election last year in the heavily Democratic suburbs north of New York City, as a more capable rival than he is letting on …”

I’m going with the later.

“… A third explanation, however, is full of palace intrigue: A number of people who have spoken to Mr. Cuomo say he also has expressed his desire to ensure that his eventual opponent is not far to the right on social issues. This, he has argued, could alienate moderate Republicans and other voters so much that Republican candidates for the State Senate could suffer too, potentially costing Republicans control of the chamber …”

“… In Mr. Cuomo’s conversations with Republicans, officials say, the governor has specifically warned that he would campaign hard against Mr. Astorino, painting him as a hard-line conservative — by highlighting his opposition to same-sex marriage, abortion rights and strict gun laws approved last year …”

Do it. Gun control has been a big stinker for Cuomo. That is why he devoted only two sentences on the topic in last month’s State of the State. Nobody can seriously argue it has been a political plus for him.

“… “He’s told me that if Astorino runs, he is going to pound the hell out of him and talk about guns and gays, and it won’t be pretty and will hurt all of us,” said a Republican senator who asked not to be named …”

This is one of the Long Island RINOs talking.

“… Some Republicans say that in making a case against Mr. Astorino, Mr. Cuomo is also trying to undermine a potential challenger. Mr. Astorino, they say, has built a reputation for fiscal belt-tightening in wealthy Westchester, where Democratic voters outnumber Republicans two to one — roughly the same as the electorate statewide. Democrats portrayed Mr. Astorino as a right-wing Tea Party extremist last year, but he campaigned on holding down taxes and easily defeated his Democratic opponent …”

This is what Cuomo is really worried about.

“… In addition to offering his commentary on Mr. Astorino, Mr. Cuomo has also tried to woo Republican donors and others who might be inclined to support a Republican. Last month, and on Monday, the governor talked up his record to business leaders at the Harvard Club in Manhattan …“The room was filled with the kind of people you need to run a successful race statewide,” said Michael McKeon, who helped organize the two gatherings. Mr. McKeon, who served as a top aide to the state’s last Republican governor, George E. Pataki, also recruited Republican support for Mr. Cuomo when he ran for governor in 2010 …”

These are the last people any Republican candidate needs to associate with. They’re a bunch of wealthy RINOs who deserve a lot of credit for helping to run the NY GOP into the ground.

“… A number of top Republicans said they have decided to back Mr. Astorino regardless of Mr. Cuomo’s wishes …”

The rest are spineless jellyfish.

“… A spokesman for the Senate Republicans, Scott Reif, said they planned to focus their re-election campaigns on subjects like job creation and tax cuts more so than social issues …”

Two issues which they’ve done absolutely nothing about to distinguish themselves from Cuomo and the NYC Democrats. They are setting themselves up for failure.

“Gov. Cuomo is making another pitch Monday for Republican heavy hitters to back his re-election campaign. Home Depot founder Ken Langone is hosting a “Republicans for Cuomo” event at the Harvard Club at 8:30 a.m. Cuomo will address the well-heeled Wall Street and real-estate titans and field questions. David Malpass, who ran in the 2010 Republican US Senate primary, also was involved in planning the breakfast, sources said. Cuomo attended a similar event last month …”

Several thoughts come to mind when I read this:

Why does Cuomo need Republicans? Democrats outnumber them roughly 2-1 in the state. This is more evidence that Cuomo has problems with Democrats.

I think of Al D’Amato when I read “Republican heavy hitters.” Fuck him.

David Malpass is one of the candidates offered up as cannon-fodder against Kirsten Gillibrand, who D’Amato was trying to protect, back in 2010. Fuck him too.

I think Cuomo is scared of Rob Astorino. He invested a lot of political capital last year trying to defeat Astorino’s re-election bid which the media promptly forgot about when Astorino cruised to re-election in majority Democrat Westchester county.

“… New York’s Andrew Cuomo is on some pundits’ lists, but so far he seems even less inclined toward a bid than his gubernatorial father, Mario, who played Hamlet in 1992 and ultimately did not run … the New York executive does not have a term limit, meaning Cuomo could run for a third term in 2018 … Cuomo, meanwhile, could bide his time, though his father—after passing on presidential runs—ended up losing a bid for a fourth gubernatorial term, in 1994, to Republican George Pataki …”

The reason Cuomo doesn’t seem inclined toward running is because it is blindly obvious that he’s blown his chance on the national stage by making gun control his signature issue. He’s got problems with members of his own party, who may agree with him in principle, but are smart enough to realize that Andrew made an ass of himself during his 2013 State of the State Address and showed everyone he ain’t got what it takes to be President. His old man didn’t have it either, but instead of losing his shit in public like Andrew, Mario just slowly shriveled up. Nobody refers to his time in office as the good ol’ days or wistfully dreams of what President Mario Cuomo would have done. Nobody is going to do that for Andrew either.

“A union official said Saturday the Remington Arms Co.’s decision to open a manufacturing plant in Alabama does not bode well for Ilion, and he’s blaming New York’s SAFE Act restrictions on assault weapons. “It can’t be good,” said Fran Madore, president of United Mine Workers Local 717, which represents 1,180 of the 1,300 Remington employees in Ilion. “How can it be good?” …”